News Headlines:

Kamal's 'Vishwaroopam' to miss release date in TN

24 Jan 2013, 2033 hrs IST
, AGENCIES

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan's
controversial film 'Vishwaroopam' will miss its release date in Tamil Nadu
tomorrow with the Madras High Court today declining to grant any interim stay on
the two-week ban imposed by the state government on the movie that has raised
the hackles of Muslim outfits.

Passing interim orders on the petition
filed by Haasan challenging the ban imposed last night, Justice K Venkataraman
refused to grant "for the present" the interim injunction sought by the actor
who has now missed two deadlines for the film, which has been bogged down by
controversies.

"Whether the film has got any scenes affecting the
sentiment of the people, who have given complaint, or not could be decided only
after viewing the film," the Judge said, holding that the release could be
postponed till January 28.

Making it clear that he had not formed any
opinion or come to any conclusion about the merits and de-merits of the case,
the Judge said it would be decided after viewing the film on January 26 and
hearing the parties.

"Now, considering the fact that the Republic Day
is to be celebrated on January 26, the petitioners can postpone the release till
January 28," the judge said.

The film, which is to be released
tomorrow in the country, is a spy thriller starring Haasan in the lead alongwith
Rahul Bose, Pooja Kumar and Jaideep Ahlawat.

Citing law and order
problems following stiff opposition from several Muslim groups over the alleged
portrayal of their community in a negative light in the mega-budget film, the
state government had directed the district collectors to invoke relevant legal
provision for a two-week ban.

Earlier, reacting strongly to the
opposition to the film and the subsequent ban, Haasan, now in the US, said "such
cultural terrorism must have to stop."

The high court observed that
the postponement of the release of the film, "no doubt will cause not only
mental agony to the petitioners but also a loss to them monetarily," but "the
interest of the people at large that too during Republic Day has to be viewed
more than that."

The film first ran into rough weather after a
section of theatre owners stiffly resisted the tech-savvy actor's decision to
premiere the movie, made in Hindi and Telugu as well, on DTH platform ahead of
its screening in theatres on January 11.

In his petition, Haasan
said once the Censor Board had certified the film, the state had no powers to
impose a ban. State Advocate General A Navaneetha Krishnan justified the ban
arguing that the petition was not maintainable as only the theatre owners were
affected parties and not the petitioner.

Muslim groups had petitioned
the government seeking the ban after they were shown a special preview of the
film by the actor.

"I have been ruthlessly used as a vehicle by small
groups who seek political profile... Any neutral and patriotic Muslim will
surely feel pride on seeing my film. It was designed for that purpose," Haasan
said in a statement in Los Angeles.

The actor said he was "appalled"
at how the movie was "construed to be against my Muslim brothers... I will rely
on law and logic to come to our support. This kind of cultural terrorism will
have to stop," he said.

Haasan received support from the Centre with
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari asking the state government
to reconsider the ban, holding that the Censor Board's view on such matters was
binding on all and cited a Supreme Court verdict.